Electric fountain



Aug. 11, 1925. 1,549,204

J. L. MERIGOLD ELECTRIC FOUNTAIN Filed Nov.- 5. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYJ.

Aug. "1' 1, 1925.

J. L. MERIGLD ELECTRIC, FOUNTAIN Filed Nov` 5, 1921 2 .Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

JOI-IN L. MERIGOLD, 0F

QFFICE.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC FOUNTAIN.

Application filed November To @ZZ lwhom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. MERIGOLD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Fountains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to artificial fountains of the type commonly used for decorative purposes in private` dwellings, hospitals, hotels, theaters, etc., and which consist of a basin or other receptacle for water or other liquid and a plurality of spraying nozzles or jet openings through which the liquid is continuously propelled or pumped from the basin through the said nozzles upwardly over the basin and then falls by action of gravity back into the basin, the jets or sprays being illuminated by an electric lamp arranged in the basin.

The objects of the invention are to provide a fountain of the character described embodying novel features of construction which eliminate entirely the necessity for pipes; to provide a fountain comprising a pump having a rotary pump element mounted to revolve on a vertical axis within a casing having one wall thereof formed with an exterior substantially horizontally concavity to receive a liquid, and having an opening communicating with the interior of the casing to admit liquid thereinto, the Wall of said casing being also formed at its periphery with a plurality of outlet openings to direct the liquid upwardly and inwardly over said concavity; to provide a fountain comprising two basin-like members one of which is fitted substantially co-aXially within the other with the bottoms and side walls in spaced relation to form a chamber therebetween, the outer end of the chamber between said members being closed except for a plurality of nozzles or jet openings directed upwardly and inwardly of said basin members and the inner one of said members being provided with an axial opening in its bottom, and a pump element mounted axially within said chamber and driven from a motor arranged eXteriorly thereof to force 5, 1921. Serial No. 513,152.

fan or propeller may be relatively small, whereby a minimum amount of power is utilized in operating the fountain; to provide means in said chamber between said basin-like members for interrupting the swirling motion of the liquid set up by said fan and causing the liquid to move radially and be ejected with increased force through said jet openings and with the expenditure of a comparatively small amount of power' for driving the fan; to provide an improved construction for the basin-like members and for mounting the fan motor, and to obtain other results and advantages as may be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view through an artificial fountain embodying my invention, showing the same mount-- ed in a decorative container or support;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the fountain, with portions thereof broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate the details of construction;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the fountain with portions thereof broken away and shown in section to illustrate a modified construction, and

Figure et is a top plan vie-w of the modifiedy construction having portions broken away, on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

In the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawings, the pump casing and liquid Areservoir are shown as formed of two horizontally disposed basins 1 and 2 formed of sheet metal, one of the basins being arranged co-axially within the other with the sides and bottoms of the basins in spaced relation. The said basins are provided with outwardly projecting flanges 3 and l', respectively, which are connected in any suitable manner, as by means of the bolts 5 secured to the underside of the flange 3 and passing through the flange et. Packing 6 is interposed between the said flanges to form a liquid-tight joint. rlhe space between the basins forms the pump chamber and the concavity of the basin l forms a catch pan or reservoir for the liquid, the bottom of 'said basin l being formed with an axial opening i to admit the liquid from the said basin into the pump chamber.

rThe pump embodying my invention is of the centrifugal type and comprises a hollow pump chamber.

shaft 8 mounted axially of the basins 1 and 2 and projecting upwardly above the level of the liquid in the basin 1, the lower end of the shaft 8 having secured .thereto the fan 5 blades 9. The upper end of the shaft 8 is rigidly and detachably connected, as by means of the set screw 10, to the shaft 11 of an electric motor 12 which is suspended from the bottom of the basin 2 by means of l brackets 13' secured to the bottom of said basin. The shaft 11 projects upwardly through a tube 14 which opens through the bottomfof the basin 2 and projects upwardly within the tubular shaft 8 above the water l line -in the basin 1. ilith this construction vit will be observed that the tube 14 prevents theoliquid in thebasins from leaking out around the shaft 11, and that the pump element is mounted directly on the motor shaft `11 so asA to eliminate bearings and consequent packing. The outer end of the pump chaml 'ber which is closed by the flange 3 of the basin 1 is formed with a plurality of jet and inwardly above the basin 1, ,the said openings forming outlets for the pump i chamber. y Y

In the operation of the device as the pump 'elementfis revolved by the motor 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow oli-Figure 2, the liquid inr the pump chamber between Mthentwo basins will be centrifugally forced outwardly through the openings 15 under 'pressure in the form of jets or sprays, and

will then fall by gravity into the basin 1 and thence through the opening 7 back to the' 'j As the pump is revolved the liquid is movedwith a swirling motion` which causes the. level thereof in the pump 40 chamber to rise sufliciently to cause the liquid to be ej eeted through the openings 15, and the pressure at which the liquid is so ejected, or the height of the sprays or jets, may be varied by changing the speed of rotationlof the motor 12.

It will be understood that instead of using a simple opening such as the opening 15 for forming the jets, I may utilize any suitable form of nozzle. The flange 3 serves to catch -any liquid which may splash outwardly from the basin 1.

To increase the beautifying eifect of the fountain, I may mount an electric lamp 16 in a socket 17 supported by a bridge 1S extending over the end of the shaft 8 and havingits ends secured to the bottom of the basin 1. To conveyvelectric current to the lamp a tube 19 extending through the bottoms of both of the basins upwardly above the liquid level in the basin 1, may be provided, the said tube receiving the electric wires` I may also mount a globe 2O over the' electric lamp 16, and one possible means of mounting the globe consists of a plate 21 secured to the bottom of the basin 1 and formed with a central opening 22 registering with the opening 7 in the bottom of the basin 1, said plate being provided with upright spring arms .23 to support the globe 20, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In use the fountain is preferably mounted in a decorative container or support 24 which is adapted to contain flowers or foliage surrounding the fountain.

A modified construction is shown in Figures 3 and 4 for interrupting the swirling motion of the liquid in the pump chamber and for directing the liquid radially outward, thereby increasing the force with which the jets are ejected from the openings 15. In accordance with this form of the invention, I provide a plurality of radially disposed partitions or bafl'les 25 in the pump chamber, the said baffles extending transversely of the pump chamber from points adjacent the pump blades 9 to the outer end of the chamber, as clearly shown i in the drawings; VVithtliis construction the openings 15 which are directed upwardly y force of the ejection of the liquid through the openingsl incident to the rising of the level of the liquid in the chamber by centrifugal action of the pump, is increased by the radial movement of the liquid caused by impact thereofwith the baffles 25. The sprays or jets can thus be ejected to the sameheight as with the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2. with the expenditure of less power for driving the pump, and `jets of a greater height than possible with the construction shownin `Figure 1 can be obtained with the sameamount of power.

In both of the constructions, it will be ob served that the pump element is relatively small when compared with the size of the pumpA chamber, so that a minimum amount of power is necessary to drive the pump to obtain the desired sprays or jets. `The construction is also extremely compact, eliminates bearings and pipes, and is simple and Vinexpensive in construction.

. .VhileI have shown and described two embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that this is only for the purpose of illustrating the principles thereof, and that many modifications and changes can be made in the detail construction of the j fountain without departing from the'spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, I do not desire to be understood as limiting my! self except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A fountain including a substantially horizontal casing having a Vconcavity in the exterior of the upper wall thereof to receive a liquid and formed with an opening establishing communication between the concavity and the interior of said casing, said casing being also provided in its upper wall with a plurality of outlet openings around said concavity and directed upwardly and inwardly thereabove, a pump element within said casing for forcing said liquid outwardly through said outlet openings, and means exterior of said casing for actuating said pump element.

2. A fountain including a substantially horizontal casing lia-ving a concavity in the exterior of the upper wall thereof to receive a liquid and formed with an axial opening establishing communication between the concavity and the interior of said casing, said casing being also provided above the level of the liquid in said concavity with a plurality of outlet openings, a centrifugal pump element within said casing co-axial with said opening in the concavity for forcing said liquid outwardly through said outlet openings, and means exterior of said casing for actuating' said pump element.

3. A fountain including a substantially horizontal casing having a concavity in the exterior of the upper wall thereof to receive aliquid and formed with an axial opening establishing communication between the conca-vity and the interior of said casing, said casing being also provided in said upper wall above the level of the liquid in said concavity with a plurality of outlet openings directed upwardly and inwardly above said concavity, al centrifugal pump element within said casing co-axial with said opening in the concavity for forcing said liquid outwardly through said outlet openings, and means exterior of said casing for actuating said pump element.

4:. A fountain. including a substantially horizontal casing having a concavity in the exterior of the upper wall thereof to receive a liquid and formed with an axial opening communicating with the interior of said casing, said casing being also provided above the level of the liquid in said concavity with a plurality of outlet openings, a centrifugal pump element within said casing co-axial with said opening in the concavity, and a plurality of radially disposed bafHes extending transversely of said casing. 5. A fountain including' a substantially horizontal casing having a concavity in the exterior of the upper wall thereof to receive a. liquid and formed with an axial opening communicating with the interior of said casing, said casing being also provided above the level of the liquid in said concavity with a plurality of outletopenings, a centrifugal pump element within said casing co-axial with said opening in the con cavity, and a plurality of radially disposed bales extending transversely of said casing, said baffles extending from points adjacent said pump element to the side walls of said casing.

6. A fountain including a pair of basinlike members, one of which is mounted coaxially within the other with the bottoms and sides in spaced relation, said first mentioned member having an axial opening in its bottom, a centrifugal pump elementl arranged in said space between the said members coi-axial with said opening in the bottom of said first mentioned member, and a plurality of radially disposed bafies extending transversely of the space between the sides and bottoms of said members.

JOHN L. MERIGOLD. 

